Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) is a type of congenital heart defect found in the days or weeks after birth. The ductus arteriosus is a normal part of fetal blood circulation before a baby is born. It’s an extra blood vessel that connects 2 arteries: the pulmonary artery and the aorta. Before birth, the ductus arteriosus lets blood go around (bypass) the lungs. This is because the baby gets oxygen from the mother.
All babies are born with this opening between the aorta and the pulmonary artery. But it often closes on its own shortly after birth, once the baby breathes on its own. If it stays open (patent), it is called patent ductus arteriosus. With PDA, extra blood flows to the lungs. If the PDA is large, too much blood goes to the lungs. The blood vessels and the lungs have to work much harder to handle the extra blood. This can lead to fluid buildup in the lungs. The baby can have a harder time breathing and feeding.
Medical Illustration Copyright © 2019 Nucleus Medical Media, All rights reserved.
Causes of Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Doctors know that heart defects present at birth (congenital) arise from errors early in the heart's development, but there's often no clear cause.
Symptoms of Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Signs and symptoms of patent ductus arteriosus usually appear within the first days of life and may include:
- Poor eating and poor weight gain.
- Rapid breathing or shortness of breath.
- Profuse sweating, especially with feeding.
- More sleepiness than normal.
- Unresponsiveness (the baby seems "out of it").
- Heart murmur
Diagnosis of Patent Ductus Arteriosus
To diagnose this condition, your doctor will perform a variety of diagnostic tests, including but not limited to:
Treatment of Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Depending on the size of the PDA, symptoms can vary. If your baby is born extremely prematurely, treatment may be required early on; while others could wait. Some treatment options include: